As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. And when he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet, and as a result he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist that takes no prisoners.

As pressure built for concerted western protests to China over the crackdown in Tibet, EU leaders prepared to discuss the crisis for the first time today, amid a rift over whether to boycott the Olympics.

The disclosure that Germany is to stay away from the games’ opening ceremonies in August could encourage President Nicolas Sarkozy of France to join in a gesture of defiance and complicate Gordon Brown’s determination to attend the Olympics.

Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister, became the first EU head of government to announce a boycott on Thursday and he was promptly joined by President Václav Klaus of the Czech Republic, who had previously promised to travel to Beijing.

“The presence of politicians at the inauguration of the Olympics seems inappropriate,” Tusk said. “I do not intend to take part.”

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s foreign minister, confirmed that Merkel was staying away. He added that neither he nor Wolfgang Schäuble, the interior minister responsible for sport, would attend the opening ceremony.

I support a full-scale boycott of the Chinese games but this is a bloody good start. China’s glass jaw shouldn’t stop world leaders doing what they’re there for: leading.

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. And when he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet, and as a result he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist that takes no prisoners.

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. And when he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet, and as a result he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist that takes no prisoners.

Fuck me, I never thought I’d be praising an article in Prospect but Mark Leonard has really hit the nail on the head with this piece.

China’s presence is changing the rules of economic development. The IMF and the World Bank used to drive the fear of God into government officials and elected leaders, but today they struggle to be listened to even by the poorest countries of Africa. The IMF spent years negotiating a transparency agreement with the Angolan government only to be told hours before the deal was due to be signed, in March 2004, that the authorities in Luanda were no longer interested in the money: they had secured a $2bn soft loan from China. This tale has been repeated across the continent—from Chad to Nigeria, Sudan to Algeria, Ethiopia and Uganda to Zimbabwe.
…
The UN is also becoming an amplifier of the Chinese worldview. Unlike Russia, which comports itself with a swagger—enjoying its ability to overtly frustrate US and EU plans—China tends to opt for a conciliatory posture. In the run-up to the Iraq war, although China opposed military action, it allowed France, Germany and Russia to lead the opposition to it. In 2005 when there was a debate about enlarging the UN security council, China encouraged African countries to demand their own seat, which effectively killed off Japan’s bid for a permanent seat. Equally, Beijing has been willing to allow the Organisation of Islamic States to take the lead in weakening the new UN human rights council. This diplomacy has been effective—contributing to a big fall in US influence: in 1995 the US won 50.6 per cent of the votes in the UN general assembly; by 2006, the figure had fallen to just 23.6 per cent. On human rights, the results are even more dramatic: China’s win-rate has rocketed from 43 per cent to 82 per cent, while the US’s has tumbled from 57 per cent to 22 per cent. “It’s a truism that the security council can function only insofar as the US lets it,” says James Traub, UN correspondent of the the New York Times. “The adage may soon be applied to China as well.”

New Zealand’s sinophilic bi-partisan consensus concerns me greatly. It’s time Kiwi politicians took some harden up tablets and stood up to China. It’s not in New Zealand’s interest to aid China’s rise by granting legitimacy to the regime in Beijing.

For all the reservations people might have about American global leadership, it’s hard to argue that allowing China to develop in to a superpower will help anyone. It’s unscrupulous foreign policy is having real impact around the world, it’s support for brutal, theocratic regimes in the Middle East has caused more damage to the region than American dalliances in Afghanistan and Iraq. Even if you don’t support America’s record in Somalia and inaction on Rwanda, the failings of American foreign policy in Africa pale in comparison to China’s active support of genocide in Darfur and opposition to anti-corruption reforms in Angola. Even in the Pacific – you know, our strategically benign backyard – the Chinese are getting their hooks in to vulnerable nations and it’s fucking outrageous that 90% of our Parliament is willing to simply overlook China’s record in the hope of angling a free trade deal.

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. And when he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet, and as a result he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist that takes no prisoners.

I pick Cullen, he knows what is happening on the ground and it ain’t pretty, he already knows we are in looking at negative growth figures from the last quarter and this quarters figures are worse. Cullen will use this to increase the tension between him and Clark as he bides his time for her to go overseas. Then the knives will come out.

Riddle me this?

How is that Fijian Scouts, Netballers and other sports people have sanctions against them by New Zealand and Clark? and;
We are allowing athletes to travel to one of the worst countries in the world in respect to human rights for the Olympics?

How can that be? No one died in the Fiji coup, the guns weren’t even loaded, the populace are still walking around un-molested and some corrupt politicians got turfed out on their arse, meanwhile in the “Chinese Province of Tibet” hundreds, but probably thousands of Tibets who were forcibly annexed in 1951 have been killed and the Army is pouring in to seal off the cities and hamlets to stop the strife spreading.

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. And when he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet, and as a result he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist that takes no prisoners.

Helen Clark should be sending this message, rather than the weasel words she is carefully using so as not to upset her over-masters in Beijing.

I also note her use of sarcasm in saying that “in New Zealand we respect the right of people to protest peacefully”, yeah, just so long as they register with the government first so we know where they live.

Just so the Chinese wankers that block my site in China for all except the flunkies in Beijing are in no doubt about my stance, the following paragraph is just for them.

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. And when he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet, and as a result he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist that takes no prisoners.

With the Electoral Finance Act proving to be an albatross around Labour’s neck, Helen could well take up this idea from China where people have been arrested for posting nude photos of Hong Kong pop stars on the internet. She certainly needs some way of shutting down dissent.

The two were sentenced to five days detention for spreading at least ten photos of singer and actor Edison Chen in bed with female celebrities, a scandal that has touched off a media frenzy in Hong Kong and feverish downloading of the photos.

The two men were arrested in the central province of Hunan after an online post showing the nude photos attracted more than 100,000 hits, Xinhua news agency said.

Eleven others across the country have already been detained for producing or selling the photos or posting them on the internet, Xinhua said.

Some 1,300 private shots of the celebrities were stolen by the staff of a computer repair shop from a faulty laptop believed to belong to Chen, Hong Kong police have said.

I can see it now, bloggers being rounded up for photo-shopping pictures of Dear Leader or worse publishing non-approved photos. The Herald editor would certainly be banged up under that provision.

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. And when he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet, and as a result he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist that takes no prisoners.

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. And when he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet, and as a result he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist that takes no prisoners.

Chinese spiritual group Falun Gong is taking Wellington City Council to court after being refused permission to be involved in cultural events in the capital.

Falun Gong says the organisers of Wellington’s Cuba Street Carnival and Chinese New Year Parade allowed its brass band and dancers to take part.

However, the council overturned those decisions, labelling Falun Gong a political group and saying it could not join in the festivities. WTF, can’t participate in parades because you are a political group!!! I hope no Unions took part in the march.

What next? Not being able to speak on the street because you don’t agree with the government…oh wait…they are trying that one on right now.

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. And when he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet, and as a result he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist that takes no prisoners.

George W. Bush has today awarded the Dalai Lama with a Congressional Gold Medal. The CGM is the America’s highest civilian honor and now by giving it to the Dalai Lama, George Bush has seriously pissed off the Chinese.

Good Job.

Remember this is the person Helen Clark “couldn’t” meet officially in case the poor widdle Chinese got upset. She should take a leaf our of W’s book.
[quote] “Americans cannot look to the plight of the religiously oppressed and close our eyes or turn away,” Bush said.

Calling the Dalai Lama a “universal symbol of peace and tolerance, a shepherd to the faithful and a keeper of the flame for his people,”[/quote]

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. And when he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet, and as a result he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist that takes no prisoners.